Mi Hyun Kim Golf World Complex

[bangkokbobby]

Oh baby, what a few weeks for Peanut...first a son, now they have opened Kim Mi Hyun Golf World in her hometown of Incheon, South Korea!



Don't know if they built this from the ground up or if they just renamed an existing structure...but from what I can tell the text of the articles seem to keep mentioning that the facility is "opening" so my guess is that it is a new structure...HF?



In addition to the driving range you can see there is apparently a basment level with a sauna, lounge and restaurant. There is also a level with a health club. Wow...Peanut the Entrepreneur!! I didn't know she had that kind of coin...although I imagine some Korean bank financed this as a good investment...

[NTB]

They are probably paying her for her name and appearances.
Good for her.

[bangkokbobby]

OK...if I'm reading this correctly, the facility is being operated by the "Kim Mi Hyun Golf World" company, being headed by her father. That's not entirely a surprise. The goal (besides being in the black) is to develop up and coming players from the Incheon area and attract professionals to practice there.

In addition to the facilities I've already listed, they will also have 9 green areas by the spring of 2010 to work on putting and short game skills.

So far it's 7089 square meters. with the driving range far fence at 200m and the two side gates at 54m high.

I'm happy that a golfer took this kind of initiative to set up a money stream for life after golf. Although all business investments come with risks, I imagine that in a country that has golf-mania like South Korea, this should turn a profit in the years to come.

Incidentally, Mi Hyun's nickname is Peanut (actually Super Peanut in Korea...I think they call Jeong Jang Ultra Peanut...but I rarely hear anybody call JJ that very much...they do call Mi Hyun Peanut all the time) and the cartoon on the side of the building is of Mi Hyun breaking out of a peanut shell.

[ctmurray]

My understanding is that it is very expensive to play golf in Korea (all of Asia?). Having played golf I can't imagine being satisfied with just hitting range balls all the time. Maybe the Korean women players can affect some change that starts creating reasonably priced golf sites.

[bangkokbobby]

Originally Posted by ctmurray

My understanding is that it is very expensive to play golf in Korea (all of Asia?). Having played golf I can't imagine being satisfied with just hitting range balls all the time. Maybe the Korean women players can affect some change that starts creating reasonably priced golf sites.

That's true...it is expensive to play golf there, but from what I have read the country is so golf-minded that many people do go just go to driving ranges and hit balls...

...there is a love for golf in South Korea...especially women's golf...and a great junior program...it's no wonder so many great players come from there...in fact, I question whether the JLPGA should get more favorable Rolex points than the KLPGA when you consider what players who played mainly on the KLPGA have done compared to players who mainly played on the JLPGA...

...for example...earlier this year there was a player on the JLPGA named Maiko Wakabayashi who was ranked ahead of KLPGA superstar Hee Kyung Seo, who won three of four KLPGA Majors in 2009 and was second place in the other, barely missing the KLPGA Grand Slam, which only Ji Yai Shin has ever achieved in one year....anyway...there is NO WAY Maiko Wakabayashi should ever at any time this year (Hee Kyung Seo was winning before this year) have been ahead of Hee Kyung Seo...

...in fact, just looking it up...Hee Kyung Seo is ranked 47th...currently behind JLPGAers Yuko Mitsuka, Miho Koga and fellow JLPGA based Korean Bo Bae Song...these names might not be familiar with LPGA fans...but no way should Hee Kyung Seo be behind those players...no way...and that's with a near historic year on the KLPGA for Hee Kyung...

[bangkokbobby]

btw...I sent an email to lpga.com asking if they'd like to post information about this...the Mi Hyun Kim Golf World...hopefully they will...

[bangkokbobby]

So it does seem like dad was the driving force behind the Kim Mi Hyun Golf World facility...here is an article about their relationship, the facility, Peanut's future training young players and dad's background.

original link: donga.com[English donga]

[NTB]

Thanks BKB always the best.

[greentee]

.
Good info, thanks BKB. :-)

[bangkokbobby]

Thanks NTB and GT...Peanut is really special...besides being so tiny but a world class player anyway...she has given so much money to charity...as we know with donating to the Kansas Tornado relief, Katrina relief and a number of charities back in Korea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcsVfl4wqM4

...sometimes good things do happen to good people...